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M att rolled his shoulders and tossed down a bale of hay. Fuck, it was cold. Bitter.

January was hell.

“Mr. Matt?”

“Yeah, Rick?” He went to lean over the edge of the trailer, looking down at the kid in the wheelchair. Both legs were gone above the knee, along with damn near half the guy’s face.

“I’m here to help. Luke said I could. That there was stuff I could do.”

“Sure. Go get you a horse blanket from the tack room, then grab that hay bale and toss it by the barn door. We’ll stack after.” He’d learned from Luke to act as if these guys could do anything they set their minds to. They would let him know if it was too much.

“Yessir.” Rick beamed, those scars pulling all up.

“Holler when you get back so I don’t hit you with a bale, ’kay?”

“You got it.” Rick was mobile with that chair, and Matt had to say that Luke had planned all the walkways well.

Luke was watching out the office window, headphones on as he made some calls. Soon, they were going to have to split more time with Miss Lori, sure as shit.

He waved to his brother, who waved back, giving him the ‘one more minute’ finger.

Yeah. Right. One more minute his ass.

The red tape with this place was endless, between insurance and the VA and the rescue groups and the nonprofit donations…

Matt took a deep breath. Between this and his breeding operation, they were so far in the black he didn’t think they’d ever need anyone to help out again. Money-wise, anyway.

He imagined Luke would need Rory forever and that suited him to the bone. McConnell was a hard worker, a good man and a surprisingly great brother-in-law.

Matt smiled, a little sad for maybe the two seconds he could spare to self-pity. So, Luke had what he probably never would. So what?

The thing that mattered here was his brother was back in the land of the living, loving his life and his man. Matt really just wanted his twin happy.

Well, that and his horses.

It was damn hard to cowboy up without a horse.